The Local Government Service (LGS) and USAlD’s Northern Ghana Governance Activity (NGGA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to train key local government agencies on financial resource mobilisation and management for improved agricultural productivity.

The NGGA is a five-year USAlD-funded project, implemented by a consortium led by CARE International in 28 districts in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

Other members of the consortium are Action Aid Ghana, SEND Ghana, and the West Africa Network for Peace-building in Ghana (WANEP).

The project goal is to ensure more responsive governance for improved agricultural development in Ghana.

The agreement, through the US Government’s Feed the Future initiative, will also enhance development coordination and citizen engagement.

It also seeks to enable the MMDAs and RCCs to strengthen coordination, improve service delivery and increase governance responsiveness to agricultural development.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of the LGS, said the partnership would support joint priorities, complementing and leveraging comparative advantages.

He said the first batch of training programmes under the MoU, would focus on decentralisation and local governance, social accountability and use of Public Financial Management templates and public financial management and Internal GSenerated Fund strategy.

“This particular partnership is also crucial because it has come at a time the government is laying emphasis on one of its flagship programme; Planting for Food and Jobs and improvement in the agricultural sector being one of the areas of focus,” Dr Arthur said.

He said the LG had developed a capacity building framework to support the District Assemblies and Regional Coordinating Councils to address their capacity building needs guiding the development of their plans.

He said through the support of the government and some development partners, a number of generic training programmes had been developed and rolled out for staff of the departments of Districts Assemblies, including Department of Agriculture.

Dr Arthur said the trainings were expected to enhance capacities of staff to facilitate planning, coordination and collaboration for improved governance in the sectors.

Mr Yawo Douvon, the Country Director Care International in Ghana, said the partnership a significant milestone in the relationship with the Government of Ghana as we work together to promote efficiency and effectiveness in local government service delivery.

He said it was also a demonstration of Care International’s strong and productive partnership with USAlD over the years.

Mr Douvon said development practice had revealed that good governance was the strongest source for citizens’ voice and a vehicle for transparency, accountable stewardship and inclusive development.

“This is timely, as it is in tune with the government's drive for financial autonomy for the nation. It will leverage agricultural productivity and agro-industry development to strengthen local economies,” Mr Douvon said.

The focus, he said, is on the regions of the north is in recognition of the dire poverty and deprivation prevalent in that part of the country.

“In addressing these issues, we need such strategic partnerships as we are witnessing today as avenues to rethink the approaches, tools and skills needed to achieve behaviour change, a requirement for community progress,” Mr Douvon added.